Vapor electric apparatus.



o. 0. KRUH. VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18; 1905. RENEWED SEPT. 2, 1911- Patented'June 11, 1912.

- Inventor Witnesss:

entrain s'ra'rns ra'rnnr earner- OSIAS O. KRUl-I, 0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNbIt T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, .A. CORPORATION OF NE'lV Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June "ll. H312.

Application filed October 18, 1905, Serial No. 283,259. Renewed September 2, 1911. Serial No. 647,437.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gene 0. KRUII, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to vapor electric devices such as mercury arc rectifiers, lamps, or the like, and is more especially intended for use in connection with vapor electric devices having a plurality of electrodes, such as anodes, of the same sign. Inapparatus of this character it has been found that in practice there exists a tendency for arcs to form between anodes, or for the arc to a given anode to reverse in sign. To prevent this objectionable action taking place, I provide a novel arrangement of shields for each of the positive electrodes or anodes.

The novel features which characterize my invention I have pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, will be better .understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which represent one of the embodiments which my invention may assume in practice.

In the drawings the invention is shown as applied to a mercury arc rectifier. The Figures 1 and 2 represent modifications.

The rectifier tube consists of a highly evacuated receptacle or container of glass or other suitable material. The larger portion of thet-ube consists of a bulb 1 here shown as pear shaped, which constitutes the condensing chamber for the mercury vapor generated inthe apparatus during operation. The lower portion of the tube is provided with two oppositely extending arms 2 and 3 having a slight upward slope so that any mercury which may be condensed therein will. roll down the inclined surface of the arms into the lower portion of the rectifier chamber. This lower portion is provided .with two pockets, one a relatively large pocket containing a body of mercury 4 constituting the cathode or negative electrode, while a small ad acently located pocket contains a body of mercury 5 operating as a starting electrode.

The positive electrodes or anodes which cooperate with the cathode el: .may be made of some solid material such as artificial graphite or the like, and of any convenient shape, such as a hollow cylinder, plates, or the like. These anodes are indicated at 6 and 7 and are arranged within the tubular extensions 2 and 3 of the rectifier tube. lVhen arcing takes place from the anode op anodes a spot thereon becomes for the moment the cathode center of an arc discharge. The producti-m of the cathode spot on the anode surface is doubtless due to a variety of causes. Among the more prolific causes may be mentioned the impact of mercury globules against the hot anode surface. These mercury globules may be due to the dropping of condensed mercury from the walls of the rectifierreceptacle, or they may consistof particles of mercury spatter-ed from the cathode and carried along by the arc discharge from the cathode and thereby projected against the anode. illoreover the arcing may in some measure be due to a radiation from the cathode of something in the nature of ultra-violet rays or the like. The nature of the radiation is somewhat obscure, though the fact that such a radiation is acontributory cause of arcing is quite clear.

In order to prevent arcing I provide the anodes with shields which guard them against arc provoking causes such as I have mentioned. In the case of the anode 6 the shield is indicated at 8 and consists of :1. cylinder of glass closed at both ends and surrounding the anode, which may be conveniently support from a tube 9 which concentricall surrounds the loading-in wire 10 for the anode. Communication with the anode G afi'orded by an opening 11 formed in the underside of the shield at a point not directly under the anode (i but beyond the anode in the direction of its sun iorting means. The anode 7 is provider vith a similar shield 12 pr vided likewisc-fwith a communicating opening 13. During normal operation of the rectifier, the are from the cathode l issues from the cathode surface practically at ri it angles thereto, and then passes to one or the other of the anodes ('3 and 7 as the case may be. in order to reach an anode the arc turns a right angle and traverses the annular space between the anode shield and the arm of the rectifier. Thus in the case' of the anode 6 the arc the opening passes between the shield Sand the arm 2 of The. are blast is thus directed opening 11. The-face the rectifier. I tangentially past the 'of the opening is practically parallel to the cathode at so that the 'arcstream which has, been deflected into a direction practically parallel with the cathode surface impartsa momentum to theparticles inthe arc stream such as to carry them bytheopening 11. It-

thus happens that all superfluous vapor and mercury particles unnecessary to the maintenance' of the current flow are projected past the opening, while only such portions of the arc stream as are required to serve'as a medium for current transmlsslon turnf 1nto and pass down into thecathode. The closed end of. the shield also effectually protects the anode from the radiations from the cathode. 'To be effective for this purpose as to be completely out of line with the path placed longitudinally with respect thereto,

the embodiment "of my invention may be of any condensed mercury dropping from the top of the arm 2 or rolling down [the sides thereof. Moreover,- directly opposite the anode 6 but. is disthus the, chances for the projection of superfluousmatter against the anode are still further reduced.

- Of course'the apparatus which I have de .number of different "Ways;

tween the cathode paratus is started scribed may beconnected in circuit 'in a One system of connections is indicated diagrammatically in the drawing. In this arrangement the anodes are connected to single phase supply leads 14 and 15. r The load circuit 16 carry-. ing the rectified current is connected be- 4 and the junction 17 between reactance coils 18 and 19 inshunt to the supply mains 14 and 15,. The starting anode 5 is connected through a resistance 20 to one of the supply mains,'as 15. The ap intooperation in a well by .causing momentary of the elecunderstood manner contact between the mercury trodesA and' 5.

form .o'f my invention. In this figure the the same general shape as of shields for the anodes is, "ho\ \.'e-rer, different and the arrangement of the anodes themselves isalso different. Thus for example, the anode 23, located in the laterally projecting arm 2% of the rectifier tube, is sup-- ported so that its free end projects,- not toward the inner portion --of the rectifier the shield 8. to-the anode 6. 'The anode is thus eifectu ally protected from projectedmatter from the 'material of which the shield is composed is an importantmatter. Glass is a good material to use for thls pur it is not located In (Fig. 2 I have represented a modified Fig. 1.' The arrangement tube, but toward the outer end lofthe arm 24. The support for the anode is afforded by the leading-in conductor 25 inca'sed in glass or" other insulating material, which leading-in conductor passes throughand 1s sealed into a "small --protejcting portion 26- of "the wall of the tube.*

adjacent to the anode. "-Thismaterialfis' on: affected by the the glass surrounding the leading-in" con ductor.

which is exposed to the, blast from the cathode30. and open at the opposite end' 31;

by'means of the tubularproj'ection 32concentric with the leading-in conductor 25 and sealed into the wall of the arm 2 l of the rectifier tube.

tubular projection 24-; of the rectifier tube,

and then reverse in directionin order. to reach the anod-e'23 whereby,- for reasons-,al-

heat of the, anode asw'ould be' Theshield 28 for the anode -2 3 is' tubular in form; it is closed at the-end; 29

H A small bushing "2710f lava or'similarfsuitable' material s tir rounds the-Ieading-inconductor at the point This shield, of course, may be supported in 'anysuita'ble way as for example,

The are from the cathode 30, in order to reach the anode 23 must pass;

into the spacebetween the shield 28 and th'e' j ready set forth, the occurrence of arcing; is

practically'eliminated. It is of coursei 'hnderstood that the other anode 33 may like wise be provided with ashield 34 in' the same way as theanode 23'is provided with the shield 28. i

It is evidentthat-various modifications in plication, Serial No. 124,520,- filed February What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United- States, is,-

1. The combination of a receptacle or conta-iner provided with, arms or projectionsi electrodes in each of said arms, and ashiel for each electrode surrounding said electrode and closed at thatsid'e where the arm or projection opens into the main receptacle; 2. The combination ofa receptacle or. con-:1 tainer having an arm or projection, an elec-.

entering said armor projection from 'the main container, said shield'also' extending around said electrode.

8. The combination of a receptacle or container formed with ,a condensing chamber,

trode locatedin said arm or projection, and @129 a shield interposed in' the path of particles "each of said shields surrounding ene of sand electrodes and havlng en opemng 1n the for each of said electrodes, said shield eX- tending across the free .end of the corresponding' electrode andfielong the side.

thereof.-

" 5. Theeombi'nationofa'receptacle or con? miner-provided with, tubular members or armsgen electrode in'each'member or arm,

end-2, shield in eechmember or arm-between the electrode and the mouthfof the opening into the container-of the tnbnlar member or erml- 6. Thecombi-netien ota' receptacle or conteiner, arms projecting therefrom, electrodes located in said arms, a vaporizaole electrode located 1n sald contamer below the openmgs of sand arms mto. sand contalner, and a shield in each arm between the electrode and the mouth of they opening of the arm into said container. w Y

7. The combination of'a receptacle or conteiner, e tubular memberor arm opening into the main body of the container, an electrode in said tubular member or arm, and

a shield interposed between the electrode and the main body of the container.

In witness whereof, lhave hereunto set my hand-this 17th day of October, 1905. OSIAS o. Kenn.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL,

HELEN ORFORD. 

